Larger-than-life holiday displays cover the grounds, garland and candy cane ribbon wrap every light pole, a 32-foot tree stands in the front circle and rumor has it... you can spot the thousands of Christmas lights all the way from the North Pole!

Although Christmas at Cook Children's seems to appear overnight after Thanksgiving, it takes months of preparation and planning to create the magic. Much like Santa has his elves to help him spread cheer, Cook Children's has Martin Aguado, Facilities Appearance Manager, and his team. Martin's crew works incredibly hard and partners with a couple of vendors to deck the halls at Cook Children's. 

"Facilities Appearance starts to prep around springtime," Martin said. "We begin by taking care of any exterior appearance needs, including landscaping. It takes the whole team and some of our vendors to make this place look as good as it does."

Martin has been at Cook Children's for nearly 10 years and he enjoys his unique position of interacting with the whole organization. When describing his leadership style Martin said, "I consider myself a listener and I allow my team to accomplish their goals by supporting them. I am hands-on with many of my team's tasks and step in to help them in any way possible. I like to describe it as 'coaching leadership' and will support their goals and help them strengthen their weaknesses." 

"I love that I am a people person and don't mind helping out," he said. "My day-to-day could be meetings and office work, but it changes as needs occur. I am always ready to do what is scheduled and unscheduled."

Martin has one of the most contagious smiles on campus, even under his mask during the pandemic. He co-leads a team of 11 to ensure the Fort Worth campus looks as good as possible at all times, but this time of year is what drives them to see the patients, families and staff with their own smiles when they see the outcome.

“I cannot express my appreciation and gratitude for Martin and the appearance team enough,” says Nick Markham, Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Campus Services, and Martin’s manager. “We have the best-looking campus and hospital in the world, and Martin is a gigantic role in that. I am so proud of everything he has and will continue to accomplish in his career.”

Some patients, families and staff call Cook Children’s ‘home’ during the holidays and Martin and his team make their time here as joyful as possible. Walk in the medical center, and you will see people in the Atrium taking pictures and sitting by even more Christmas trees, wreaths, elves, and a giant throne for Santa. 

Step outside and the giant Christmas tree in the front circle is the easiest to spot, but the Dillard Garden is the favorite area among patient families and the community. Every night in December you can find families strolling around and taking pictures in front of the displays, driving by in their warm cars or running and cycling through campus. The decorations have also been known to make a Christmas card or two!

The Facilities Appearance team adds more lights and decorations each holiday season and it would be difficult to miss two of the new displays this year. The iconic rows of crepe myrtles that lined the drive to the medical center front entrance were removed following the winter storm in North Texas in February 2020. A glowing shooting star that changes colors now fills the space this season. The second new display this year is a 22-foot motif of Peaks the Dragon and can be found in Dillard Garden.

"Out of all the Christmas displays, the Dillard Garden would be my favorite," he shared. "I can walk through it every time I'm outside and it's special to drive by in the morning when I get here at 6 a.m."

The next time you and your family see Cook Children's at Christmas, we hope you think of - and thank - Martin and the entire Facilities Appearance team for helping make the spirits bright. 

Here are some of their stories:

WHERE DOCTORS LISTEN

Linda Downey was just 12 years old when an eye doctor told her he could see fluid built up behind her eyes. It was 1968 and she knew something was wrong because she had been losing her eyesight and ability to walk over the previous two years.

“Other doctors thought it was psychological, but he said this is serious. She needs to see a neurosurgeon,” Downey said.

She was sent to see a physician at Fort Worth Children’s Hospital, located in the spot where the main building of Cook Children’s sits now. During her stay, she would take rides through the tunnel that connected the adjacent hospital (Texas Health Harris Methodist) to the children’s hospital.

“It was like a roller coaster, but it wasn’t much fun for me because of the fluid on my brain.”

Downey underwent three brain surgeries and finally left Fort Worth Children’s in 1969. Since then, she’s been to Cook Children’s many times to visit her friends’ kids who’ve become patients over the years. She says the difference between then and now is incredible.

“It’s very different than it used to be. There’s much more for children to do,” she said.

One thing that hasn’t changed – doctors listening to their patients.

“At the time, I just needed someone to listen,” Downey explained. “I wouldn’t be alive today if there wasn’t a hospital dedicated to listening to children and their parents.”

A NEW HOME

Mandy Flaming’s family also lives close to Cook Children’s, but not because they planned it that way.

Her daughter, Tatum, had been receiving treatment for leukemia for two years while living in Abilene. During Tatum’s final spinal procedure, doctors discovered she had relapsed. It was then that Tatum’s parents knew they couldn’t go home.

“We knew so much of her treatment would be in patient and our family would be separated if we were to travel back and forth,” said Flaming. “We decided, pretty much overnight, to move to Fort Worth.”

They called on their family and friends who had been offering their help for years and asked for assistance moving. Before they knew it, their home was packed up and on a moving truck headed to North Texas.

“We lived in the Ronald McDonald House for a couple of months while we were trying to get on our feet,” she said. “It was difficult at times because it wasn’t what we wanted, but it was what we had been handed so we were going to face it with bravery and go forward.”

Tatum finished her relapse therapy in 2013 and now see her Cook Children’s oncologist once a year for a checkup.

“We’re so grateful for the doctors and nurses. Anything we can give back, we are more than willing, even if it’s a blue light on our porch.”